Reflections From the Road

These essays are also available in video form on my YouTube channel.

The United States Already Has a Mixed Economy. We Just Pretend It Doesn’t
Politics, Economics, Public Policy, Society Brian Mahaney Politics, Economics, Public Policy, Society Brian Mahaney

The United States Already Has a Mixed Economy. We Just Pretend It Doesn’t

The United States functions through a blend of markets and public systems, yet political debate still treats capitalism and socialism as mutually exclusive choices. Private firms set wages and prices, but government guarantees deposits, subsidizes mortgages, regulates pollution, and steps in when financial collapse looms. The country already operates through a mixed framework, even as its arguments assume one must be rejected in favor of the other.

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The Myth of the Single Savior
Essays, Freedom, Politics, Civic Life Brian Mahaney Essays, Freedom, Politics, Civic Life Brian Mahaney

The Myth of the Single Savior

There is a difference between believing in a leader and handing them our agency.

The two can look similar from a distance. Support can turn into dependence. Admiration can turn into surrender. And somewhere along the way, the idea of a single person carrying the weight of a nation begins to feel natural, even necessary. It becomes part of the story we tell ourselves about how things get fixed.

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Captivity Should Not be For Sale

Captivity Should Not be For Sale

Most people I know who lean conservative share a common belief about the world. They trust private organizations more than government because they have seen how slowly government moves and how easily public systems lose sight of the individual. I understand that instinct. I grew up around it. I still think there is wisdom in the idea that power should be held in check, no matter where it lives.

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